N00802:1325
The truly blessed man
The truly blessed man: or, The way to be happy here, and for ever: being the substance of divers sermons preached on, Psalm XXXII. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. N.E. ; [Five lines from Isaiah]
printed by B. Green for Michael Perry, 1700
Sermon › Doctrine 3: Divine Teachings are to guide us in our way. DOCTRINE III.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The Word of God acquaints us with another way that leads to misery, and that in contradistinction to ⟨p. 435⟩this; both are mentioned and characterized, Mat. 7.13, 14. Called the way of the ungodly, Psal. 1.6. A false way, Psal. 119.104. A way in which is destruction and misery, Rom. 3.16. And many like titles; and by these we are acquainted that there is a right and a wrong.
3. Hence also the Scriptures declare men happy or miserable according to the way they are in▪ Psal. 1. begin. 119. begin. Prov. 7 ult. &c▪ And the reason is, because the way, if followed, will unavoidably issue in thi• at last. There must then be a way for a man to come at felicity by, if he would not miss of it at last; and this will appear, if we consider,
1. That blessedness is an end, and so there must be a medium to it. All the desires and endeavours of the Reasonable Creature are carried forth after happiness; this they propose, and are insatiably craving of,